Why Are We Letting Infectious Diseases Make A Comeback?– “An estimated 45 million Americans live in poverty, including more than one in five children. Approximately 1.65 million live in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2 per day. Economists estimate that the disparity between rich and poor Americans now is greater than at any time since the Great Depression, and this includes the South.”

Cancer Alley: Big Industry, Big Problems– “Mile by mile, town by town, there’s another little cluster of poverty and sickness. Most of these small towns are poor and black and nearly all are a stone’s throw from the petrochemical processing facilities that dot the region.”

A Matter of Black Lives– “Since 1980, more than 260,000 black men have been killed in America. Mitch Landrieu, the mayor of New Orleans, is on a crusade to stop the killing.” Content note: child death.

“Everything Is Not The Wire”– “David Simon would like you to stop trying to understand what’s going on in Baltimore by quoting his TV show.”

Some Cultures Treat Menstruation With Respect– “But some cultures have a different attitude. In societies where women might have their period only every two years or so because of frequent pregnancies and long breastfeeding, there might be fewer negative associations with menstruation, says Alma Gottlieb, professor of anthropology and gender and women’s studies at the University of Illinois and author of Blood Magic: The Anthropology of Menstruation.”

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The Skepchick Network is a collection of smart and often sarcastic blogs focused on science and critical thinking. The original site is Skepchick.org, founded by Rebecca Watson in 2005 to discuss women’s issues from a skeptical standpoint.